ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia Republican Gov. Brian Kemp’s priority bill to limit lawsuits and large jury verdicts has gotten increasing pushback after an initial boost in support as the legislative session enters its final weeks.
Crowds of business owners and doctors swarmed the Capitol to back Kemp when he announced the proposal, also called tort reform. Now, people who have sued businesses are rallying as Democrats argue the bill is a handout to businesses and insurance companies.
And a number of House Republicans remain skeptical, even though House Speaker Jon Burns said he is confident it will pass.
“There are two Republicans that are trial lawyers, but I’ve heard a more broad group of people express concerns with the bill as currently written,” said Rep. Trey Kelley, a Cedartown Republican.
Millions of dollars have gone into lobbying for and against Kemp’s package. Here are some reasons why people are concerned.
Victims sound alarms
Kemp’s bill would require anyone who sues a business or property owner over misconduct or injuries on their property to prove the owner knew about a specific security risk and physical condition on the property, but didn’t provide adequate security.
Women who were sex trafficked and raped at hotels have begged lawmakers to oppose the bill as written.
“Surely, the hotel would notice, with 40 cars coming in and out at any given moment … the girls walking around in their underwear, never alone, never speaking unless spoken to,” Michal Roseberry, human trafficking survivor, said at a news conference Thursday.
There is an exception for human trafficking victims in the proposed bill, but the kinds of claims they can bring are limited. Opponents plan to offer a broader amendment.
“Even with that exception, as the bill is right now, nobody would ever file a sex trafficking case in Georgia,” said Jonathan Tonge, a University of Georgia law professor who litigates human trafficking cases.
Kemp has signed several laws backed by his wife, Marty Kemp, to crack down on sex trafficking.
“The governor would not sign any legislation that would roll back our efforts in that area,” said Kemp spokesperson Garrison Douglas.
Would lawsuits slow, and should they?
A man in a wheelchair testified at a news conference last week that he was paralyzed after people attacked him at an apartment complex that ignored pleas for stronger security. A lawyer and a mother shared stories of children who were abused at child care and recreational facilities where they said staff turned a blind eye to abuse.
Lawyers said the bill would thwart many of those lawsuits, which have helped pay for health care and therapy.
Republican Senate President pro tem John Kennedy, a lawyer from Macon, has insisted the bill wouldn’t stop survivors of abuse and sex trafficking from suing. Douglas, Kemp’s spokesperson, said it is “balanced and commonsense” and “doesn’t prevent any Georgian who has been wronged from getting the justice they deserve.”
Business owners, trucking companies and others say they are threatened by expensive court verdicts or settlements.
“I’ve heard many times over the last several weeks, ‘This is really about big corporations versus the little guy,’” said Charles Tarbutton, a member of an influential Georgia family and CEO of Sandersville-based trucking company B-H Transfer. “I urge the members of the House to reject that fallacy. I speak on behalf of those 75,000 truck drivers in Georgia. We are the little guys.”
Opponents want proof
Trial lawyers are worried that other changes would drag out trials and delay preparation. Lawyers and doctors dispute whether fair compensation is the face value of a medical bill or only the portion an individual directly paid.
Opponents also question whether the problems the bill claims to address exist, and if it would actually solve them.
For example, doctors have said unfair lawsuits make it hard to recruit talent to rural areas and lead them to administer unnecessary medical tests. They also say they’re getting slammed by rising medical malpractice premiums. In an analysis for the Georgia Trial Lawyers Association, Northwestern University Professor Bernard Black said it’s difficult to recruit doctors outside of urban areas nationwide.
Kemp has said his plan will stabilize insurance rates, but many experts say the evidence for that is shaky.
“It’s the same talking points, same manufactured crisis, same players that come in,” said Rep. Tanya Miller, a lawyer and Atlanta Democrat. “The problem with the anecdotal evidence is that’s not actually how you study a complex problem.”
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Kramon is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Follow Kramon on X: @charlottekramon.
